


PURE UNADULTERATED DRIVEL (Otherwise known as: The Ryder Shepard Story)

by Saphean



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-05-07 06:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5446913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saphean/pseuds/Saphean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: The batarian attack on Mindoir started, but was stopped before they could do any real damage. Ryder Shepard grew up to become a farmer like her parents: Oliver and Hannh. Ten years after the attack a young turian Spectre turned up on the colony to upgrade the defence systems and install some new ones...<br/>I'm sure you can guess where the story goes from here... eventually. ; )</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rating will change as more chapters are added.  
> Characters will be added as and when appropriate  
> Posting may be a bit sporadic... being a single mum doesn't always leave time for writing.  
> Comments and constructive criticisms welcome. (If you really don't like it just don't read any more).

Letting herself into her parents’ apartment, Ryder walked into the open plan lounge-diner-kitchen area and stopped dead. She knew every piece of furniture her mother had purchased over the years, and a semi-naked turian was definitely not one of them.

Looking up from the kitchen table, where he was just finishing his breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Oliver Shepard smiled at his daughter’s expression. “You might want to close your mouth, Rye. You look like one of those fish your mother keeps pestering me to buy her.”

Ryder blinked a couple of times and told herself to get a grip. This wasn’t the first turian she’d ever seen, though he was certainly the first one she’d seen in her parents’ home – or in any home in the colony for that matter – and definitely the most undressed; unless you counted that magazine she’d found when she was sixteen. Dragging her eyes away from the turian she walked to the table, sat down with her back purposefully to the kitchen area and poured herself a glass of fresh orange juice.

Gathering his dirty pots together, Oliver got to his feet and started walking over to the kitchen sink. “I suppose I should introduce you two.” Stopping, he turned and looked back towards the table. “Ryder. This is Garrus. He’s here to sort the defence systems. Garrus. This is my daughter, Ryder.”

Garrus walked over to the table and held his hand out towards Ryder. “It’s good to finally put a face to the…”

Taking the turian’s hand in hers – as well as she could, anyway – Ryder had looked up to make eye contact and Garrus’ voice had trailed away to nothing as he studied her face intently. For a few seconds, Ryder felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn’t the first time someone had looked at her in that way, but the turian’s gaze was so much more penetrating than a humans.

After a good ten seconds, Garrus released Ryder’s hand and stepped back. “Sorry if I offended you, or overstepped any boundaries. I’ve never seen anyone with…”

Reacting instinctively, as she would do if the person talking to her was human, Ryder moved her hand to Garrus’ forearm to reassure him that he hadn’t done anything wrong. “Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first person to stare and I doubt you’ll be the last, though I will say you are the first turian to do so. If you’re interested it’s called heterochromia iridium.”

Feeling somewhat more relaxed now that he knew he hadn’t offended his host’s daughter, Garrus looked at Ryder’s eyes again. For a moment he’d been sure it was a trick of the light, but she had one green eye and one blue. Against her lightly tanned skin and light blonde hair the effect was really quite striking.

Standing by the front door, pulling his work boots on, Oliver glanced at Ryder. “What are you up to today? You’re mother said you’ve got the day off.”

Ryder smiled fondly. “I guess she’d know. But yes, I’m off today then back at the doctors tomorrow.” She lifted her left arm off the table and waved it at her father. Her forearm, from wrist to elbow, was covered in a bandage. “With any luck the infections cleared up and I can finally let it heal.”

Oliver zipped up his coat and opened the front door. “I’d better get going, but if you don’t have any plans maybe you could show Garrus around the colony. At least that way he’ll have some idea where he’s going tomorrow, and where he can eat if he doesn’t want to be traipsing all the way back here.”

Before Ryder could say anything to her father’s suggestion, he’d stepped through the door and closed it behind him. Now it was just her, a half empty glass of juice and a semi naked turian. If anyone had told her that her day would start like this, she would have laughed.

Finishing her juice, Ryder got up and walked to the kitchen where she rinsed the glass. “So what do you say?” Putting the glass away in the cupboard she looked over her shoulder towards Garrus. “Want the guided tour?”

**

Heading back to her apartment after making sure Garrus got back to her parents’ place alright, Ryder sighed exasperatedly when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Slowing down, but not stopping, she looked over her shoulder. “What is it, Kaidan?”

Walking a little faster, Kaidan caught up with Ryder and fell into step beside her. “You know the Crucible is re-opening tomorrow night, right? Do you want to go and check it out?”

Ryder thought for a moment. The Crucible was one of only two clubs on Mindoir – the other being the Aurora on the far side of the town – but it had been closed for the last few months for refurbishment. She did want to see what had been done to the place, but going with Kaidan… With his strong features and warm brown eyes she was sure he could get just about any girl to go with him, but for the past god knows how many years he’d been pursuing her. He just never seemed to get that she wasn’t interested in being anything more than his friend, no matter how many times or how bluntly she told him. She could, however, see if Garrus fancied seeing what Mindoir’s nightlife had to offer. If he was going to be there for a while he might fancy letting off some steam at the end of a busy day.

“I’ll see you at the club around seven?”

Kaidan nodded enthusiastically. “Sure. Or I could come and pick you up? The weather reports say it’s going to be a clear night tomorrow…”

Ryder forced herself to smile. She knew exactly what Kaidan was alluding to and there was no way she was taking anything even remotely resembling a romantic stroll with him. “It’s alright, I’ll just meet you there. My place is a bit out of the way.”

After agreeing to meet up with Ryder at the club, Kaidan gave her a quick kiss on the lips before going on his way. As soon as his back was turned, Ryder wiped her mouth with the back of her hand; the guy really was pushing their friendship to the limits.

Arriving home, Ryder opened her laptop – it was an old one, but it still worked… just – and quickly typed a message to Garrus. Addressing it to her dad, as she knew he checked his e-mails when he got in at eight, she sent it before she could rethink things. Talking to Garrus while she’d been showing him around the town had been easy – well, she’d talked about the different buildings and he’d listened, mostly – but siting in a club for several hours was quite different. She didn’t want him to feel obliged to turn up only to sit there in silence for hours because they had nothing to talk about.

Quickly Ryder typed a second message, which she again sent to her dad’s email address, informing Garrus that he wasn’t obliged to go if he didn’t want to… or had just seen enough of her.

Shutting down the laptop, Ryder looked around her apartment. It had two bedrooms, like the one her parents had, but the open plan living area was smaller – there was only her living there after all – and one corner of the lounge was filled with a miniature jungle of potted plants.

Walking into the kitchen she opened one cupboard and pulled out a couple of pans before fetching various ingredients and putting them in a neat row on one of the work surfaces. She enjoyed cooking, even if it was just for one, and she found it could be very therapeutic. After a tough day there was nothing better than mashing, crushing and dicing different foods… especially if you imagined they weren’t foods at all.

**

Garrus felt a hand come to rest on his arm. Looking down, he found Ryder smiling up at him warmly. She looked different from earlier, but it was a good different. Her hair was down, tumbling in golden waves over her shoulders and she’d applied a touch of make-up; nothing too heavy, but enough to accentuate her features. Even her clothes were different. The threadbare jeans and baggy t-shirt she’d been wearing earlier had been replaced by a thigh-length dusky pink dress that skimmed over her curves while still leaving something to the imagination and silver strappy sandals that he couldn’t imagine anyone could ever walk in.

He returned Ryder’s smile, wondering briefly if she was aware that was what it was. Turian facial expressions were somewhat different from human ones, and then there were the sharp pointed teeth they had which were constantly on display. “You look, er… nice.”

Ryder laughed lightly. “Thank you.” She looked over what the turian was wearing; a dark blue outfit that complemented the markings on his face and made his pale blue eyes seem even more intense. “You don’t scrub up too badly yourself.”

Removing her hand from Garrus’ arm, Ryder starting walking away from him. After a couple of steps, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder. “I’ve got a table over here… unless you want to stand up all night.”

Following Ryder through the club, Garrus looked around; it was only when he’d passed about half a dozen tables that he realised most of the couples in there were same sex couples. Walking a little faster, he caught up with Ryder. “This might sound like a strange question, but is this a gay club?”

“Not exactly, it’s…” Ryder paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to explain things. “One of the owner’s, Sam, is a through and through lesbian, and her business partner, Steve, likes men. I guess people in non-straight relationships just feel more comfortable here…”

Garrus looked at Ryder uncertainly. “So are you..?”

Ryder smiled. “Let’s just say, I’m not fussy.”

Hearing Ryder say that, Garrus felt an inexplicable urge to do an impromptu air punch. “And what about non-humans?”

Ryder stared at him, her expression somewhere between disbelief and shock. “Non-humans?”

Garrus cursed under his breath. Non-humans? Spirits! Had he really just said that out loud? “Sorry, I… I don’t know what I was thinking. Can we just forget I said anything?”

“Of course we can…” Smiling mischievously, Ryder stepped a little closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Though seeing as you asked, I like what I’ve seen so far.”

If turian’s could blush, Garrus had no doubt he would be bright blue right now. “Why don’t you show me where this table is before I say anything even more embarrassing?”

Reaching the table, Ryder introduced Garrus and Kaidan to each other. Once Garrus had taken a seat she asked him what sort of things he liked to drink then made her way to the bar.

Spotting Ryder walking towards her, Sam put down the rag she’d been using to wipe down the bar. “Rye? How are you?”

“Sam?” Leaning over the bar, Ryder gave the pretty co-owner of the club a quick kiss on the cheek. “You look…” She hesitated, not sure if the lighting was playing tricks on her. “Pregnant?”

Sam smiled, her hand moving tenderly over her bump. “Five months. Eleni was over the moon when we found out.” Reaching under the bar, she bought up three glasses and filled them; two from one bottle, and the third from another. “These are on the house. Whiskey for you and Kaidan, and the best dextro brandy we have for your turian.”

“Garrus isn’t my…”

Seeing the look on Sam’s face, Ryder fell silent. Sam had always been a bit of a romantic and when she decided two people belonged together, there was no changing her mind. Picking up the glasses, Ryder thanked Sam for the drinks and returned to the table.

**

While Ryder made two mugs of coffee – one dextro, of course – Garrus sat at the kitchen table and watched her. After leaving the club she’d said goodbye to Kaidan, making it clear to the man once again that they were just friends, before offering to show him the way back to her parents’ home. The walk back had taken a little over half an hour, with Ryder stopping to remove her shoes part way and walking the rest of the way barefoot. For most of that time, having spent a fair bit of the night talking, they’d walked in silence. But it hadn’t felt awkward. In fact he’d enjoyed just being in her company.

Setting a mug of coffee down in front of Garrus, Ryder studied his expression. It was going to take her a long time to know what the different variations in mandible flare or plate movement meant, but something just seemed off about him. “Is everything alright?”

Slowly Garrus’ eyes met Ryder’s. When he’d first arrived on Mindoir he’d wanted to get the job done and get away from there as quickly as possible, but now there was a part of him that didn’t want to leave at all. It was something he couldn’t explain to himself, let alone anyone else.

“I’m fine.” He flashed a smile, hating himself while he did so for lying. “Just thinking about the journey back to the Citadel tomorrow.” Picking up his coffee he took a few sips then set the mug down again. “I’d…” He looked down, eyes focused on the dark purplish brown liquid in the mug he was holding, hoping he wasn’t about to make a complete idiot of himself. “I’d like to see you before I go…”

Ryder stared at Garrus in stunned silence for a few seconds. Then, to his immense relief, she smiled. “I’m working the late shift tomorrow, so I could meet you somewhere for lunch?”

Getting to his feet, Garrus took the now empty mugs over to the sink and started to wash them. He’d been living alone for some years now and while he didn’t mind someone cooking him the odd meal or making him a coffee or whatever, he didn’t like to just sit around and not help. “If we could make it an early lunch that would be great. My flights at 14:30 and...”

“Garrus. An early lunch is fine.” Taking the mug Garrus had just finished washing, Ryder dried it and put it away before doing the same with the second mug. When she was done she gathered up her things and walked to the front door. “I’ll see you outside the Crucible at 10:45?”

Drying his hands, Garrus nodded in agreement then watched as Ryder stepped out through the open front door and it closed behind her. Returning the tea-towel to where it had come from he walked along the short corridor towards the bedroom he was using, grabbed his wash kit and headed back along the corridor to the bathroom.

Stepping under the shower, Garrus let the hot water wash away the stresses of the day. Briefly he wondered if he should have offered to walk Ryder home, but it was too late now. He had no idea which way she’d gone after leaving the apartment and, despite her petite stature, he had the distinct impression that she could handle herself better than most men he’d met. She’d done quite well keeping Kaidan’s hands off her, after all.

Leaving clean clothes out for the next day, Garrus packed everything else ready for his flight back to the Citadel. He wasn’t looking forward to the flight at all – the ship he was booked on was a small, trading vessel – but at least he had lunch with Ryder to take his mind off things… at least for a bit.

Dropping his bag by the chest of drawers, Garrus climbed into bed and tried to sleep. Usually he drifted off almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, but tonight sleep eluded him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving ever closer to eventual Shakarian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several months on from chapter one.  
> Rating changed to teen to be on the safe side.  
> As always comments and constructive criticisms appreciated.

Ryder stood on Mindoir’s small port, watching all the ships that came in to dock. For six months Garrus had been going back and too between Mindoir and the Citadel, spending a few days on the colony then returning to the Citadel for a week or more. The last time he’d left Garrus had told her he wouldn’t be back for at least two months before handing her a new laptop and making her promise to keep in touch. When Garrus had messaged her, telling her when he would be returning to the ever expanding colony, she’d told herself she wasn’t going to be one of those people who spent hours standing around waiting for a flight to come in. But here she was, jacket pulled tight around her to keep out the cold and the rain, standing on the docks waiting for Garrus’ flight to arrive even though it wasn’t due in for another two hours.

By the time Garrus’ flight came in Ryder was cold, hungry and looked like a drowned rat. Her hair was coming loose from the ponytail she’d put it in and tendrils were clinging to her face like tiny tentacles.

Exiting the ship he’d been travelling on, Garrus stared at Ryder for a moment then dropped his bags and wrapped his arms around her. Ryder was a human and they hadn’t known each other all that long, but he’d missed her more than he thought possible.

Taking a step back from her, Garrus looked down at Ryder and gently brushed some of the hair from her face. “How long have you been standing here?”

Ryder shrugged casually, a small smile gracing her lips as she tried not to shiver from the cold. “Not long.”

Picking his bags up again, Garrus shook his head in disbelief and draped his arm around Ryder’s shoulders. “How about we get out of all this rain and you get into something that doesn’t make it look like you’ve been standing out here waiting for me for the past few hours? Then you can tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Deciding not to comment on the turian’s assumption that she’d been standing at the docks for hours waiting for him, Ryder started walking back towards her apartment. It was closer to the port than her parents’ place – where Garrus was going to be staying until he’d finished the work on the defence systems – and all her clothes were there.

Having been away for a couple of months, and still not entirely sure where things stood with him and Ryder, it took Garrus a minute or two to realise they were taking a different route than normal. “I don’t think I’ve been this way before?”

“You probably haven’t.” Suddenly feeling a little unsure, Ryder reached up to her shoulder and let her hand rest on top of Garrus’. In some ways he was the cause of her self-doubt, even if he hadn’t actually done anything, but she felt better just knowing he was there. “The apartments here aren’t as nice as the ones nearer the main town, like the one my parents have, but it’s all I can afford.”

Garrus and Ryder walked the rest of the way to her apartment in silence. To Garrus the lack of conversation wasn’t at all awkward, but there was a tenseness in Ryder’s shoulders that made him think she wasn’t entirely happy having him there. But maybe he was just imagining things.

Opening the door of her apartment Ryder started apologising profusely for the lack of space, the mess, the out of date furniture and about a dozen other things she thought were wrong with the place. Entering, Garrus found himself in a small, but well set out open plan room – much like the one at her parents’ place. The ‘mess’ Ryder had been worried about was one mug lying unwashed in the sink and though the furniture was indeed mis-matched and out of date, it gave the room a homey feel.

Telling Garrus to make himself at home, Ryder made her way through to the main bedroom. Pulling dry clothes out of the drawers she stripped out of the things she was wearing, pulled on her bathrobe and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

**

Steve put down the knife he was using to dice vegetables for the casserole he was in the middle of preparing and looked at Ryder. “I haven’t seen you this happy since… well, for a long time.” Transferring the vegetables to a small crock pot which already contained slow-cooked meat, he added some seasoning and a generous pinch of mixed herbs. “In fact, you’re practically glowing.”

Ryder focused on the glass of iced water she was holding, telling herself that she most definitely was not blushing at her friend’s words. Garrus had been on the colony for five straight weeks now and though they both worked long hours they’d made it a point to meet up every day, even if it was just for coffee. She didn’t know what it was about him, but she enjoyed spending time with the turian.

Putting the casserole into the oven on a low heat, Steve sighed somewhat sadly. He liked Ryder – she was a good friend and always had been, to both him and Sam – but what he was about to say could change all that. “If he means that much to you, you need to tell him about your past…”

Ryder shook her head emphatically. “I can’t. What if… What if he doesn’t like that person?”

Rounding the large work surface in the centre of the Crucible’s kitchen, Steve took the glass from Ryder before she broke it in her agitated state and sat down beside her. “I remember a very wise young woman once telling me that if the man I wanted to be with couldn’t accept my faults as well as my more positive attributes, he wasn’t worth knowing. Telling Charlie about some of the mistakes I’d made in my life wasn’t easy, but it brought us closer together; the time we had before the accident, it was some of the best I’ve had.” Turning a little more towards Ryder, Steve cupped his hand under her chin and turned her face towards him. “Now I think it’s time that wise young woman took some of her own advice.”

Leaving the restaurant, Ryder felt like the air had suddenly become very oppressive and suffocating. Every step seemed more leaden than the one before and every breath more strangled. Deep down she knew Steve was right – until Steve found the courage to tell Charlie about his past they’d been on the verge of splitting up, but afterwards they’d been inseparable; spending two wonderful years together until the accident that had claimed Charlie’s life– but she had no idea how to broach the subject. Talking about something that happened ten years earlier when she was sixteen, and which she had spent the past decade trying to forget was going to be more than difficult

Finding herself outside her apartment, Ryder let herself in. Heading straight to the kitchen she took a glass from the cupboard and poured a generous measure of whiskey. She didn’t usually drink during the day, unless it was a special occasion, but she needed something to settle her nerves.

Walking through to the lounge she switched on the television, sat down on the sofa and started flicking through the channels. She was looking for something to distract her… something she could watch without really having to think about the plot, but nothing caught her fancy. In the end she turned the television off again and sat in the dark, tears of frustration rolling silently down her cheeks. She was nearing her twenty seventh birthday, but her past still held her captive.

After what seemed like a few hours, but was in fact no more than ten to fifteen minutes, Ryder scrubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands and got to her feet. Heading into her bedroom she opened the laptop, which was sitting on a chest of drawers, and typed a quick message.

_Garrus._  
_We need to talk. Can you meet me after work?_  
_Rye._

Within minutes of Ryder sending her message, Garrus had replied.

_Going to be here for a while – calibrations to finish. We can talk here though._

Talking to Garrus while he was working wasn’t exactly what she’d hoped for, but Ryder knew herself better than anyone. If she kept putting this off, she was never going to do it. Like Steve had said; it was about time she took her own advice.

_I’ll be there in an hour._  
_Rye._

Closing the laptop, Rye made her way to the bathroom and jumped in the shower.

**

Unable to concentrate on anything after receiving Ryder’s message, Garrus paced up and down in front of the defence systems’ controls. As far as he could fathom things had been fine between them, but maybe he’d inadvertently done something to offend her. But no, it couldn’t be that. Ryder had always let him know if he’d overstepped. No, this had to be something more personal…

“Garrus?”

Lost in thought Garrus hadn’t heard the door open. Turning, he saw Ryder standing just inside the small room; it took him a few seconds to realise she was shaking… physically shaking.

“Rye?” All thoughts forgotten, Garrus quickly crossed the room and wrapped his arm around her waist to support her. “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

Ryder let herself be guided across the room where Garrus helped her sit on one of the unopened crates. She took a minute to try and compose herself before speaking. “I… I need to tell you something, but… but I’m not sure how you’re going to take it and…”

Garrus looked down at Ryder. Whatever it was she had to tell him, it was obviously difficult for her. He wished there was some way he could make whatever it was easier, but he didn’t know how. The only thing he could do at that point was let her know he wasn’t going anywhere.

Pulling up another crate, he sat down opposite Ryder and took her hands in his. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ll get through it together.”

Slowly Ryder looked up. On the walk from her apartment she’d come very close to running back home several times, but now she was here she knew she had nowhere left to hide… so to speak. “I’m guessing you know about the attack ten years ago?” She laughed. It was a hollow sound that echoed of the walls like something dying, and not at all like the open, unadulterated way she normally laughed. “Of course you do. You wouldn’t be doing this if not. At the time I was seeing this girl called Anna. This was not long after I’d admitted to myself that I liked girls as well as boys and…”

“She was your first girlfriend?”

Ryder nodded. “And the first person I slept with. I thought everything was good between us, but the attack changed all that. The attack was stopped quickly, but not before some of the buildings were destroyed. I was…” She took a breath then forced herself to keep talking. “I was in one of those buildings. Anna visited me in hospital, and still I thought things were fine. It was only after I left that I found out how much I’d been deluding myself. It took me some time before I was ready to let anyone see… the first time I felt comfortable enough to undress in front of Anna, she told me she couldn’t look at me anymore. The scars made her feel… Well, that doesn’t matter. For several weeks after that, I locked myself in my room. I remember my mum leaving food outside the door and trying to talk to me, but all I could think of was that I wanted the pain to end…

All the time Ryder had been talking, Garrus had been holding her hands and listening. He’d sensed that she didn’t want to be interrupted and so he’d kept quiet, but now he got the feeling she wanted – or rather needed – him to say something. “And you found a way to do that?”

“I thought I had, but I guess I didn’t plan things as well as I should have.” Dropping her gaze again, Ryder watched Garrus’ thumbs which were tracing patterns over the back of her hands. “When my parents had gone out to work one day I left my room and raided both the medicine cabinet and the drinks cabinet. I don’t know what happened after that, but I woke up in hospital. My parents’ got me counselling and… For a time I was angry. I didn’t know how to move on from what had happened. I started sleeping with anyone…” A small smile curled her lips. “Well, almost anyone, to try and make myself feel better. It took a few months of weekly therapy for me to see I was actually making myself feel worse. And several more months before I was ready to try and rebuild my life.

Taking another deep breath, Ryder looked up. “So now you know everything. If you don’t want to be around me anymore, I’ll understand.”

Pulling her hands from Garrus’, Ryder got to her feet and started walking towards the door. She hadn’t gone more than a few steps when she felt something encircling her wrist.

Still sat on the crate, Garrus looked up at her. “Can I..? Will you show me the scars?”

For the longest time Ryder didn’t respond. Telling him about her past had been difficult enough, but showing him the scars that had almost ruined her life was something else entirely. Removing Garrus’ hand from her wrist she started walking towards the door. Then something else Steve had said – something that she herself had once said to Steve – came back to her: “if he can’t accept my faults…” Hesitantly, Ryder engaged the lock on the door…

**

Three weeks had passed since Ryder had told Garrus about her past and shown him the scars she had. Out of respect for her, and not entirely trusting himself to control his actions, he’d kept his hands to himself. But by the time she’d put her top and trousers on again, he was in need of a cold shower… or six. Now here he was, standing in her kitchen pouring wine while she was taking a quick shower before they went out to dinner. He’d been here several times now, but this was the first time since Ryder had told him about her past. He couldn’t quite place what it was, but something felt different.

When Ryder returned from taking her shower, Garrus handed her one of the glasses. While she leant against the work surface sipping her wine, he watched her appreciatively.

Turning to face Garrus, meaning to ask him if he was almost ready to get going, Ryder put her glass down on the side and walked towards him. She’d seen that look on his face before; it was the one that said he had something on his mind, but wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. “Something’s going on in that mind of yours.” Walking towards him, Ryder brought her hands up to rest on Garrus’ chest. “Care to tell me what it is?”

Standing silently, Garrus looked down at Ryder; unaware that his hands seemed to be acting of their own volition. It was only when he felt the jagged scar that ran from roughly halfway down the left side of Ryder’s back to her right hip under his palm that he realised he’d moved at all. Ryder was still looking up at him, but now it was like she was waiting to see what he would do next. On a more positive front, she hadn’t moved away or told him to get off her.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, at least partially, Garrus moved his hands so they were either side of Ryder’s waist and lifted her onto the kitchen worktop. Undoing the rest of the buttons on the sleeveless blouse she was wearing, he pushed it slowly off her shoulders and let it pool behind her. Wanting to touch her with his bare hands he removed the gloves he was wearing and ran his talons lightly down her back. The way she arched her back at his touch was something no turian would ever do. He wanted more, but he knew it wasn’t his to take. She might not see it the same way, but to him Ryder had been used enough. Whatever happened between them he wanted her to be there because it was something she wanted, not because she felt she had to be.

As Garrus stepped away from her, Ryder watched him. “Did I do something wrong?”

Garrus shook his head. “No it’s… Spirits! This is going to sound bad.” Not quite able to look her in the eye, Garrus focused on her fingers as they buttoned up her blouse again. “If I wanted to take you – and believe me, I do – I know I could do it, regardless of how much you might try to fight me off. If I did that though, I wouldn’t be any better than those people you told me about. And I wouldn’t know if it was what you truly wanted.”

Fingers poised over one of the buttons, Ryder tried to wrap her head around what Garrus had said. It was a long time since she’d even considered being with another person, and Garrus being a turian just made things that much more complicated. Lowering herself down from the worktop, she leant against it once more. If Garrus could be honest with her about what he wanted, the least she could do was return the favour.

“I want to be with you, but I’m not sure I’m ready yet.” As she spoke she ran the tip of her index finger around the rim of her wine glass. “Thinking about being with another human would be scary enough, but… I don’t know anything about turians when it comes to…”

Garrus flared his mandibles out in a broad grin. “That’s alright. I don’t know that much about humans either, just what I’ve heard other humans and sometimes asari say. But you do know that I am a turian, so I just might be able to answer any questions you have.”

Grabbing her jacket, Ryder turned to Garrus. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer one day soon.”

Walking out through the front door, Garrus waited until Ryder had locked up before wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “I look forward to it.”

Laughing, Ryder curled her arm around the turian’s waist. As they walked towards the town she couldn’t help thinking how natural it all felt.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're getting closer, but not quite there yet.  
> Next chapter maybe. ; )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet more drivel.  
> Thanks for the comments/kudos so far. More of both always welcome.

Walking onto the small trading vessel, Garrus turned to Ryder. “You’re sure you’re alright with this? I don’t want you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

Ryder smiled and followed him onto the ship. After finding out from her parents when her birthday was he’d surprised her with a two night reservation at one of the best hotels on Elysium. “The only thing I’m feeling uncomfortable with is the flight. I’ve never been off Mindoir before. As for the rest of it? I trust you.”

Taking a seat by the window, Ryder looked out onto the small docking bay. Both her parents were there, their faces mirroring the mix of excitement and nervousness she was certain were evident on her own. When the engines started up and the docking clamps released she gripped Garrus arm, tight.

A few minutes into the flight, Garrus peeled Ryder’s hand from his arm and reached past her to open the viewport shutter. “Take a look. I can almost guarantee you haven’t seen anything like this before.”

Turning her head towards the viewport, Ryder looked out at the view. On Mindoir the sky always had a slightly orangey tinge and the best you could hope to see were a few dozen stars. Out here there were literally thousands of stars, all lighting up the inky blackness of the galaxy. Garrus was right. She hadn’t seen anything like it before.

“This is… breathtaking.” Shifting position she turned so she could see Garrus properly. “Can we just stay here… forever?”

Brushing a stray hair from Ryder’s face, Garrus laughed lightly. “It’s a tempting thought. But I think the ship might need to refuel at some point.”

By the time they arrived at Elysium, Ryder had fallen asleep leaning on Garrus’ arm. Moving her carefully, he stood up then shook her gently awake. “Rye? We’re here.”

Opening her eyes, Ryder looked through the viewport again. The myriad of stars she’d seen earlier had been replaced by tall buildings and bright artificial lighting. Elysium was nothing like Mindoir.

Grabbing their bags Garrus walked down onto the docking bay. Following behind him, Ryder stopped every few steps to look around.

Walking halfway back up the ramp towards the ship, Garrus transferred both bags into one hand and placed his other hand on Ryder’s back to guide her down to the docking bay. “You’ll see this place again in two days.”

“I know. It’s just…” Ryder looked around, trying to find the right words. “I’m probably never going to get the chance to see anywhere like this again. I don’t want to miss anything.”

Garrus knew what she meant. When he’d first gone to the Citadel he’d been exactly the same; trying to stay up all night so he didn’t miss something. He soon found out though that Spectre training and being tired didn’t make good bedfellows.

“How about we find the hotel? We can drop the bags off and get something to eat before I show you some of the sights.”

Ryder took one last look around her before agreeing to Garrus’ suggestion and allowing herself to be steered towards a taxi rank.

Arriving outside the hotel, Garrus grabbed the bags and paid the taxi driver while Ryder stared at the building in amazement. She really didn’t want to think about how much all this had cost Garrus. More money than she would ever have, that was certain.

Turning towards the front doors of the hotel, Garrus stopped when he saw Ryder’s expression. “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just not used to…” She waved her hand towards the hotel. “This. It must have cost you…”

Stepping towards her, Garrus placed his finger over Ryder’s lips. “How much it cost doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you agreed to come with me… and that you enjoy yourself. Whatever you want to do…”

**

Ryder stood in the middle of the hotel room. It was split into three separate areas – a lounge area with two comfy looking armchairs and a coffee table that put her kitchen table to shame, a bathroom with two sinks and separate bath and shower units, and a bedroom with two double beds, two chests of drawers and two end tables complete with reading lamps. The place was bigger than her apartment.

Unzipping her bag she started to unpack her things then thought better of it. She was only there for two nights. There were much better things to be doing than unpacking.

Leaving her things where they lay, Ryder walked out onto the balcony where Garrus was enjoying the view. “You said something about food earlier. Where would you suggest?”

Garrus looked out at the view for a few more seconds then turned to face her. “How about we get room service? The foods good here and it means we can freshen up before hitting the town.”

Ryder’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Hitting the town? Why do I get the feeling you’ve got something up your sleeve?”

“Well there’s this er… club, and…” Gazing down at the floor of the balcony, Garrus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well, it’s not to everyone’s taste, but I thought we could check it out…”

Catching onto what Garrus was saying, Ryder laughed loudly. “You want to take me to a strip club? For my birthday?” She was silent for a moment, thinking. “What the hell? This has been a day of firsts for me. Why stop here?”

The look of relief that spread across Garrus’ features made Ryder want to laugh again. Instead she stood on tip-toe and kissed him lightly on his right mandible; barefoot, she couldn’t reach any higher. “Thank you, Garrus. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget this.”

Walking back into the room, Ryder picked up the room service menu and took it out onto the balcony where she handed it to Garrus. “It’s obvious you’ve been here before; don’t worry, I won’t ask who with. So what would you recommend?”

Garrus looked at the menu. “I’ve been here three time… with no-one. And I’ve never eaten anything you could eat.” He grinned down at Ryder. “It tends to make me ill.”

Hip resting against the balcony railing, Ryder looked out into the distance. “I didn’t think about that. In that case, I’ll decide."

Taking the menu back from Garrus, she headed back into the lounge area. Stopping just inside the french doors she looked back over her shoulder. Garrus was watching her with an expression on his face she couldn’t determine.

Flopping down into one of the comfy armchairs she scanned the menu, choosing a main course and desert for each of them and a bottle of wine they could share. After a quick call down to reception she walked back to the french doors.

“Food should be here in around thirty minutes or so. Maybe we should unpack while we’re waiting?”

Following Ryder into the bedroom, Garrus looked at the two beds. He knew he’d told her he was prepared to wait until she was ready to take things any further, but when he’d booked the room he hadn’t thought about the implications of them sharing like this.

Seeming to know exactly what was going through the turian’s mind, Ryder walked over to him and placed her hand over his. “Don’t worry so much. I trust you.”

Garrus looked down at Ryder, his mandibles flared out in a small smile. She might trust him, but he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust himself. If it came to it, he would sleep in one of the armchairs…

**

Sitting in one of the booths at Blue Paradise, Ryder rested her head against Garrus’ shoulder and watched the show. Contrary to what she’d been led to believe, Blue Paradise was more of a burlesque club than a strip club with both human and asari dancers.

Leaning forward she picked up her glass of wine, took a sip. Seizing the opportunity, Garrus snaked his arm around her waist; letting his hand rest on her hip when she leaned back again.

Settling herself more comfortably against Garrus, Ryder smiled contentedly. Now she’d seen some of the show she knew she would have enjoyed it regardless of who she was with, but being there with Garrus just made it even more special.

Dipping his head slightly to talk to Ryder, Garrus lowered his voice to a whisper so he didn’t disturb anyone sitting nearby. “Rye? Are you enjoying yourself?”

Lifting her head, Ryder met Garrus ice-blue eyes with her oddly coloured ones. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Leaning away from Ryder slightly, Garrus looked her over… while using his visor to check her vitals. Instead of answering he smiled down at her for a second or two then resumed watching the show, his talons tracing lazy circles over the silken fabric of the dress she was wearing. Since the show had started they’d hardly spoken, but that was fine. With everyone else he’d been out with, not that there were all that many, he’d always felt the need to fill the silence before it got too deafening. With Ryder the silence was calming, like a hot shower at the end of a long day; it relaxed him… made him feel like the burdens he carried had been lifted, if only for a while.

“Garrus? Can I ask you something?”

Caught up in his thoughts, Garrus barely heard Ryder’s whispered words. In fact it was only when he realised she was watching him and not the show that he realised she’d spoken at all. “Sorry, Rye, I was miles away. Did you need something?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something. With humans, if they want to move on from the ‘just holding hands’ stage of a relationship, but they feel they aren’t quite ready for the ‘let’s have hot rampant sex’ stage there are things they can do that aren’t quite so…” She fought to think of the right word, a light blush creeping over her cheeks as she tried to ignore the way Garrus was looking at her. “Committed, I guess, but still intimate. Kissing and… well, other things. I was wondering if turians..?”

Needing a moment to compose himself, Garrus reached for his wine and took a long drink. He was fairly certain he knew what Ryder was alluding to, even if she hadn’t actually said the words outright, and he was finding it difficult not to read too much into it. He was definitely going to need a cold shower when they got back to the hotel.

“Turian mouths aren’t really designed for kissing; not enough flexibility. We do have something we do instead though. It’s… “Changing his position he hooked a finger under Ryder’s chin and lifted her head slightly before bringing his forehead down to rest lightly against hers. “It’s something we do to show someone we lo… we care about them.”

Deciding his body couldn’t take it, at least not while they still had the walk back to the hotel to contend with, Garrus didn’t touch on the rest of Ryder’s question. It was true there were things he was desperate to try with her – things he could never do with another turian for fear of injury – but he wasn’t entirely sure when or how to broach such matters. Or if he should mention them at all.

**

Back at the hotel, Garrus followed Ryder out onto the balcony. Standing behind her, he slowly pulled down the zip at the back of her dress. He still wasn’t sure if her earlier question had been just that; a simple question. Or if she was letting him know that she was ready to move their relationship onto the ‘next stage’, as humans liked to call it. All he could do was act according to what he’d picked up and rely on Ryder to tell him when enough was enough.

Ever so gently he traced the scar on her back, from half way down her torso across to her hip. As his fingers moved beneath the fabric of her dress to follow the scar all the way to its end she tensed, but only for the merest fraction of a second. Bringing his other hand up to her neck, he wrapped his fingers lightly around her throat. His talons digging in just a touch. Briefly he thought how easily he could snap her neck if the desire took him. It was a strange thought, and one that really didn’t go with the current situation, but he knew it was true. What surprised him even more though was that he was sure Ryder was aware of this too. Yet she hadn’t made the slightest movement or uttered a single word to indicate that she felt threatened in any way.

Moving his hand around from her hip to her stomach, Garrus bowed his head and nipped lightly at her shoulder. The soft sighs she was making were quickly driving him over the edge. He wanted her. No, that was a lie. He needed her. If she said the word he would take her right here, right now on the balcony… and to hell with anyone who didn’t approve.

Lifting his head from Ryder’s shoulder, Garrus turned her to face him. She was breathing a little faster than usual, her pulse was slightly elevated and her pupils were dilated – all signs that she was aroused.

“Rye…” He lowered his forehead to hers, just as he had back at the club.

Ryder lifted her hands to Garrus’ face, tracing his plates with her fingers. She knew what he wanted and she wanted to be able to give it to him, but she couldn’t… not yet. “Garrus, I… I want to. But…”

Dropping her hands, Ryder pulled back from Garrus and turned to look out over the balcony again. “You deserve someone better. Someone who can give you…”

Sighing heavily, Garrus wrapped his arms around her waist. “You still don’t get it do you, Rye. I don’t want anyone else. And if I need to tell you that a hundred times before you believe me, that’s what I’ll do.”

Closing her eyes, Ryder leaned back against Garrus and brought her hands to rest over his.

For several minutes they stood together on the balcony – his arms wrapped protectively around her, and her head resting against his chest – until the temperature started to drop a little too low and they retreated inside. Walking over to the well-stocked mini bar, Ryder looked over at Garrus. Already he was settled in one of the armchairs.

“Fancy a night-cap?” Opening a bottle of dark rum, she poured herself a generous measure. “It might take some of the chill off.”

Garrus looked at the array of bottles on the bar. “Brandy if they have any.”

Grabbing a second glass, Ryder poured some brandy into it for Garrus then took it over to him.

Instead of taking the glass he took hold of her wrist and pulled her down onto his lap. Now taking the glass from her, he looked at the measure she’ poured. “If I didn’t know better, I might think you were trying to get me drunk.”

Given what had been said outside, Garrus knew Ryder could take his comment any number of ways. Luckily for him, she didn’t take it the wrong way.

Holding her own glass, Ryder turned her head to look at Garrus. For a few seconds her face was expressionless, but then a small smile started tugging at the corners of her lips. “Maybe I am.”

Curling his arm around her waist, Garrus pulled Ryder against him. He could feel her warm breath ghosting over the softer more sensitive skin of his neck and he knew that if this was it… if this was all she was ever able to give him, it would be enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder finally gets her act together... ; )  
> Happy Valentine's day : D

Waking up early on the last day at the hotel, Ryder crept out of bed and into the lounge. Calling down to reception, she ordered breakfast for both her and Garrus. After two wonderful days, she wanted to do something to thank him… even if she was putting it on his bill.

Not wanting Garrus to be woken by the knock on the door, she waited in the corridor just outside the room until the food was delivered. When it arrived, she took the tray through to the bedroom. Placing the tray on the empty bed she’d been sleeping in she walked the short distance to the bed Garrus was occupying.

Bending down, she put her head close to his. “Wake up, sleepy-head.”

Slowly, Garrus opened his eyes and sat up. “Rye? You’re up early.” Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he stretched. “Is something wrong?”

Ryder shook her head, wondering why Garrus would think something was wrong just because she was awake before him. “I couldn’t sleep, so I ordered breakfast.” Picking up one of the plates on the tray, she held it out in front of him. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Garrus looked at the food on the plate – a selection of meats and fruits from Palaven – and smiled. “No, I don’t mind at all.”

Taking the plate from Ryder, Garrus took a bite from one of the pieces of fruit.

Picking up her own plate, Ryder turned back to Garrus. “Scoot up a bit would you? My bed seems to be occupied by a tray.”

Popping a piece of meat into his mouth, Garrus stared at Ryder for a couple of seconds before coming to his senses and moving across to the other side of the bed. Sliding in beside him, Ryder pulled his arm around her shoulders and snuggled up against his chest.

After eating roughly half the food on her plate, Ryder set it down beside her on the bed. Curling her legs up beside her she ran her hand over Garrus’ chest and down to his waist. She enjoyed the feel of his plates under her fingers, but she was particularly fond of the softer un-plated areas where the skin reminded her of a soft well-loved leather… dry to the touch, but still supple.

Feeling her hands moving over his chest and down to his waist, Garrus froze; fearful that if he moved he would break whatever spell had been cast over them.

Sensing Garrus’ hesitation, Ryder pushed herself up until she was kneeling. Throwing one leg over both of his, so she was straddling his lap, she placed her hands either side of his face and pressed her lips gently to his mouth. Pulling back a few seconds later, she gripped the hem of the top she was wearing and pulled it off over her head.

Garrus’ hands moved slowly over her body, hungry to experience as much of her as he could. Once again he drew his talons down her back. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of the way she arched at his touch, or the soft sighs she made when he brushed his thumbs over her nipples. He wanted to see more… wanted to hear more… and he never wanted to leave that bed, but he knew the time would come when he would have to.

Pulling away from him, Ryder rolled over to the side of the bed and stood up. Picking up first one plate and then the other, she put them back on the tray. As Garrus watched her, he could see the nervousness in her eyes… but also anticipation.

Slowly, Ryder slid her shorts down her legs then kicked them off. She was shaking like a leaf, just like she had been back in the defence systems’ control room on Mindoir, but Garrus couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was the most beautiful… most perfect person he’d seen. Scars and all.

Moving to the edge of the bed, he reached for her; his eyes moving over her body, committing every detail to memory. Finally, his eyes found hers. “Tell me I’m not dreaming…”

**

Lying on his back, hands gripping Ryder’s hips, Garrus battled the temptation to thrust his own hips up to meet hers as she slid slowly down onto him. He was vaguely aware of something warm trickling over his fingers, and there was a faint coppery tinge in the air, but he’d long since lost all sense of reason. The idea that his talons had pierced Ryder’s flesh, and that what he was feeling and smelling was her blood, just didn’t occur to him. He was having too much trouble just staying still. When Ryder started rocking her hips slowly back and forth, he all but lost it.

Ryder sighed softly as Garrus’ hands moved up over her body, and more longingly when his thumbs traced slowly over her nipples. She leaned further into his touch as gentle strokes were replaced by harder pinches and tweaks. It was so long since she’d been with anyone she’d been afraid she wouldn’t know what to do anymore, but her body was reacting to every touch of Garrus’ fingers and every scrape of his talons in ways she could never have imagined. She’d been with several people before – more than she liked to remember, in fact – but it had never been like this.

Wanting to know every inch of her body, Garrus slid his hands down to her thighs; resting them there for a moment as he felt her muscles contracting and relaxing in time with her movements. Closing his eyes he moved his hands along her thighs, letting his fingers explore the patch of hair at their apex. When his fingers found a small nub – a hidden bundle of nerves he hadn’t even known existed – Ryder moaned wantonly as her movements picked up speed.

Needing to hear her moan like that again, Garrus moved his finger in circles over the hidden nub. The more pressure he applied the stronger and more lustful her movements became and the more shameless the noises she was making. He wasn’t sure which was more of a turn-on: watching her remove the last vestiges of her clothing and seeing her naked for the first time, or hearing the noises she was making now? Turian women tended to be a lot more… controlled with their responses.

“Garrus?”

Opening his eyes, Garrus forced himself to look up at Ryder’s face instead of watching the way she was grinding her hips into his pelvic plates and his hand.

“Tell me what you like… so I know what to do.”

Moving his hands up her back towards her shoulders, Garrus pulled Ryder down towards him and rolled them both over so she was pinned to the mattress. “How about I show you instead?”

Supporting himself on one arm he took Ryder’s hand and moved it to the more sensitive areas of his body: his waist, the area of softer skin around his cowl and throat, and finally the base of his fringe.

Looking into his eyes, and remembering the way he’d reacted earlier, Ryder scratched her nails down the skin either side of his fringe. She’d been expecting a response something like before, but the one she got was entirely different.

Face nuzzled in the crook of her neck, Garrus growled against her… his teeth sinking into the soft flesh there as he picked up Ryder’s earlier tempo with his own thrusts. Within seconds, she was matching his movements with her own.

When Ryder’s movements became more erratic and her fingers seemed to scrabble for purchase at the base of his fringe, Garrus slowed his pace as she rode out her orgasm. The way her muscles were clenching around him was more than enough to push him over the edge.

Rolling of her, Garrus sat up and looked at Ryder. She was still lying on her back, both legs now curled to the same side and her arms resting above her head, on the pillow. “Spirits, Shepard! If I’d known being with you was going to be this good, I might not have been able to control myself.”

Kneeling up, Ryder shimmied across the bed until she was behind Garrus. Wrapping her arms loosely around his cowl, she let her head rest against the back of his shoulder. “Worth the wait?”

Garrus placed one of his hands over hers. “Definitely!”

**

Standing up, Ryder took a step away from Garrus and grabbed her wash kit. “I’m going to grab a shower before we get kicked out of here.”

Reaching for her hand, Garrus pulled her closer to him. “Want some company? I could… wash your back.”

Ryder lowered her forehead to his and laughed. She hadn’t missed the way he was looking at her. “Just washing my back, huh?”

Garrus shrugged. “That wasn’t what I said.” Bringing his hand up to Ryder’s face, he tangled his fingers through her golden locks. “It just seemed like a convenient place to start.”

Pulling slowly away from him, Ryder walked towards the bedroom door. Reaching it she stopped, looked over her shoulder towards the bed and threw her still damp bath sponge at Garrus’ head. “Are you coming, Vakarian?”

Picking up the sponge, Garrus got to his feet. Letting his eyes wander brazenly over her body, he graced Ryder with a wicked smirk. “Not yet… But I’m sure you can help with that…”

Shaking her head incredulously, Ryder turned her back on Garrus – giving him a tantalising view of her long, perfectly toned legs and shapely ass – and practically sashayed into the lounge.

Lying back on the bed, Garrus looked towards the door and watched as Ryder walked across the lounge towards the bathroom. She was completely naked and the french doors were thrown wide open – probably something Ryder had done when she’d woken up, he thought – but she didn’t seem to have noticed. Either that or she just didn’t care.

Getting to his feet, Garrus straightened the covers on the bed – a habit from his military days he hadn’t been able to kick… though it was a lot less deadly than some of the habits a few of the other soldiers he’d known had picked up – and followed Ryder to the bathroom. Passing the window he wondered momentarily what anyone nosy enough to be looking in would think of a naked male turian following a naked female human through the room. Probably nothing too savoury given that the naked male turian was very obviously turned on.

Opening the bathroom door, he found Ryder was already standing under the warm water of the shower. For almost a minute he watched the water running down her body… tracing the curves his fingers and talons had traced earlier, and he felt a strange knotted feeling in the pit of his stomach. Spirits! He was feeling jealous of the damned water.

Feeling the rush of cool air over her back as Garrus opened the shower screen door, Ryder shivered slightly. Then the door closed and she felt the heat of his body against hers.

Reaching around her, Garrus took the sponge Ryder had thrown at him and a small plastic bottle of shower gel off the small shelf. Squeezing some of the gel onto the sponge, he returned the plastic bottle to the shelf and started rubbing the sponge lightly over her shoulders. Bracing her forearms against the back wall of the shower at head height, Ryder rested her forehead on her arm and sighed contentedly.

When the sponge moved around to the front of her body and over her breasts, Ryder moaned softly. Moving his other hand around her torso, Garrus rubbed the sponge gently over one nipple while rolling the other roughly between his thumb and forefinger. After a few seconds or so, he swapped; gently sponging the nipple that had been rolled between thumb and finger, and subjecting the nipple that had previously been gently sponged to the rough rolling.

Bringing his mouth down to Ryder’s ear, his natural dominant side taking over somewhat, Garrus ran his tongue over the pin-prick tooth marks he’d left earlier as he listened to the wanton sounds he was eliciting from her. “You like that, don’t you Rye?” He dropped his voice to a lower, throatier tone. “Tell me you like that!”

No longer able to form coherent words, Ryder nodded and made some sort of noise she hoped would translate.

**

Boarding the small trading vessel that would take them back to Mindoir, Ryder felt a contradictory mix of emotions running through her. On the one hand she was glad to be going back to Mindoir, but on the other she didn’t want to leave Elysium.

Coming up behind her, Garrus placed his hands on her hips and bowed his head so his cheek was against hers. “You don’t regret what we did, do you?”

Leaning back against him, Ryder reached up her hand and ran her fingers tenderly along his mandibles. She had enjoyed finding out where and how he liked to be touched… and the discovery that she could make him growl, and – for want of a better word – purr, had been something of an added bonus. “Not one bit. I’m just…” She sighed wistfully, looking out onto the docking bay one last time as the door closed. “I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again, but I... well, I don’t want to leave here either. I…” She paused, hesitantly. “Thank you.”

Burying his face in the crook of her neck, Garrus breathed in the scent of her; the top note was the light floral perfume of the shower gel and shampoo, but beneath that there was the slightly salty tang of sweat and sex. Pulling back he turned her to face him; one hand moving up to run through her hair. He didn’t think he would ever get bored with the feel of her hair. It was like silk and water and air and something he couldn’t put a name to, all rolled into one. If he pulled one of the curls straight it would bounce right back. The wind blew it across her face and created tangles in it Ryder had told him were called knots. Water weighed it down, making it momentarily longer and straighter. But in the end it always returned to how it was now… somewhat unruly golden curls that sat on her shoulders and framed her face.

Taking a seat, Garrus pulled Ryder onto his lap. “You don’t need to thank me for anything, Rye. I wanted to do this for you. Besides…” Unbuttoning a couple of buttons on the shirt she was wearing, he trailed one talon down between her breasts. “It wasn’t like I didn’t get anything out of it.”

Ryder laughed. Garrus was now unbuttoning the rest of her shirt, but she made no effort to stop him; with the door closed it wasn’t like anyone could see them. “You are insatiable.”

Hand flat against Ryder’s stomach, Garrus shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve got some time to make up for. There’s only so much a guy can do alone, you know. And I don’t recall you moaning… Wait, yes I do. Quite vociferously if memory serves; in the bedroom and in the shower…” Sliding his thumb under the fabric of her bra, he brushed it over her nipple. Still sensitive from his previous assault on her, she couldn’t quite bite back the soft moan that escaped her lips. “Especially in the shower.”

Resting her head against Garrus’ shoulder, Ryder smiled at the memory. Garrus wasn’t like anyone she’d ever been with before… and not just because he was a turian. He said he’d never been with another human and she believed him – he had no reason to lie to her about that – but he seemed to know her body better than she did. He knew when to apply pressure and when to ease off a bit…

“Garrus?” Leaning away from him a little, Ryder turned her face towards his. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

Garrus touched his forehead to Ryder’s; it was something he seemed to be doing a lot recently. “My pleasure…” He grinned suggestively. “I hope.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domesticity and babysitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for continuing to read - - or starting to read if this is your first look at this.  
> As always kudos, comments and constructive criticisms greatly appreciated.

Eleni laughed as Sam manoeuvred the small plastic spoon in a slow looping pattern towards their son’s mouth. Benjamin was nine months old now and thriving. “I fairly sure sky cars don’t sound like that.”

Looking at her partner, Sam pouted dramatically. In her peripheral vision she could see small chubby hands flailing at the spoon, trying to catch it.

Leaning across the table, Eleni wiped her thumb gently over Sam’s cheek to remove a spot of the pureed carrot and potato mix she was trying to persuade Benjamin to eat. Sam’s hair was tied up in a loose bun, strands of it coming loose and hanging down around her face, and she wasn’t wearing a hint of make-up – before their son had been born, she wouldn’t have left the bathroom in the morning without a light covering of mascara and a slick of lip gloss at the very least – but in Eleni’s eyes she’d never looked more radiant.

“Don’t worry, Sammy. I’m sure he’ll grow to love it.” Returning to her seat, Eleni flashed a smile. “Either that, or we’ll just have to pray really hard that he never sees a real sky car.”

Picking up the cloth she’d been using to wipe Benjamin’s mouth and chin between mouthfuls, Sam held it as if she was going to throw it across the table. “It’s a good job you’re cute, Leni.”

While Sam returned to trying to get her son to eat the rest of his meal, Eleni took their plates through to the kitchen to be washed later. Opening the fridge she took out a carton of juice and filled two glasses. Taking them to the table she set one down in front of Sam.

Remaining on her feet, Eleni took a few sips of her own drink. “Sam? Do you fancy a night out sometime?”

Holding the spoon just out of reach of Benji’s mouth, Sam stared at Eleni as though she’d just asked her to leave the apartment in the scruffiest clothes she owned, with her hair un-brushed and wearing no make-up. “A night out?”

Eleni shook her head exasperatedly. “Yes, Sam… a night out. You remember them, right? We get dressed up, go to a club and relax for a few hours.” She looked at Benji, smiling as he smeared orange mush over his face. “I’m sure we could find a sitter.”

After some hesitation, Sam finally agreed. Before she could change her mind, Eleni walked over to the laptop they kept in the corner of the room and typed a quick message. Sending the message to several people she returned to the kitchen and finished her juice. Hopefully one of the people she’d asked would enjoy getting covered in whatever the goop of the day was.

Wiping Benji’s face and hands on a damp cloth, Sam lifted him out of his highchair and put him down in his playpen while she filled the baby bath that was sitting on the kitchen worktop with warm water. Giving her son his evening bath was Sam’s favourite part of the day; working most nights at the club she normally missed putting him to bed.

Lowering Benji into the warm water, Sam laughed as he splashed his hands in the water. Supporting his back she cleaned him with a soft flannel; stopping every now and again to tickle him or play ‘This Little Piggy’. When her son laughed, Sam beamed happily.

Seeing how content Sam was, Eleni smiled to herself as she finished the washing up. Leaving the dishes on the drainer she walked over to Sam and Benji. “I’m going to take a quick shower.” She ticked the pink slightly wrinkled fingers that were reaching for her. “And don’t worry, I won’t be long. I know you need enough time to make yourself presentable before you head off to work.”

Dipping her hand into the bath water, Sam splashed it at Eleni. Unfortunately the other woman had made a quick exit and all Sam succeeded in doing was getting water on the floor and teaching Benji that scooping the water was much more effective than simply hitting it with his hands.

**

Closing the laptop, Garrus stood up and rolled his shoulders before heading through to the bedroom. After sending his bi-weekly report to the Council he’d checked both his and Ryder’s inboxes – with her permission, of course – for anything that might be important. Opening the door he watched Ryder for a minute or two before undressing and sliding under the covers alongside her.

Feeling the bed shift behind her, Ryder turned onto her other side and snuggled up against her turian lover. He’d moved in with her roughly three weeks after they’d returned from Elysium, but it was only over the past week that he’d started spending the entire night in her bed.

Lying on his back, one arm wrapped around Ryder and resting on her hip, Garrus played absentmindedly with her hair as he stared up at the slightly off-white ceiling. He estimated the work he had left to do would take another two, possibly three, months. After that he would be required to return to the Citadel. He knew the longer he left it the harder it would be for him to tell her, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. All he could think was that there had to be another way. But the only solution he could come up with meant one or both of them giving up the lives they were leading. He knew he wasn’t ready to do that – being a Spectre was something that had caused a lot of contentions between him and his family, but something he felt he had to do – and after such a short time together, he didn’t think he could ask Rye to do something he couldn’t.

Garrus was brought out of his reverie by the sensation of Ryder’s hand moving slowly up his inner thigh. Changing position so he could see her properly, he saw she was watching him avidly. “Sorry, Rye. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Ryder smiled and propped herself up on her elbow. “It’s fine.” She studied his face for a moment. Over the past weeks she’d gotten quite good at reading him. “You seem stressed. Is there anything I can do to help you unwind?”

Carding his fingers through her hair again, his talons scraping gently over her scalp, Garrus exhaled slowly. “It’s just a work thing. I’m sure it will sort itself out.”

Sighing contentedly as Garrus’ talons continued moving over her scalp, Ryder lowered her head to rest on his chest again. “Alright. But you know you can talk to me, right?”

Remaining silent, Garrus listened to Ryder’s breathing as it softened and slowed. He knew she was falling asleep again, and he really couldn’t blame her. She’d been gone when he’d woken up in the morning and she hadn’t returned home until at least two hours after him. While she’d taken a well-earned shower, he’d put the kettle on to make them both a coffee and attempted to make her an omelette. It had ended up looking more like the spilled innards of something he’d killed once, but still she’d eaten it… and she’d complimented him on his efforts.

He wasn’t particularly religious, but staring up at the ceiling again Garrus found himself praying to the Spirits for some sort of guidance. Or at least the courage to tell her what was on his mind. Feeling his lids growing heavy he moved his hand from Ryder’s hair to her shoulder and kissed the top of her head as best he could. He really did love her – had done since the moment they’d met and she’d treated him just the same as she treated everyone else – but the words were just one more thing he wasn’t brave enough to speak out loud.

Drifting off, he realised he hadn’t mentioned the message from Eleni. Letting his eyes close, he added it to the list of things he had to tell her. At least this was something he wouldn’t need to work his way up to.

**

Stopping outside the apartment, Ryder raised her hand to knock on the door then dropped it again. Instead, she looked up at the turian standing next to her. “Are you sure you’re alright with this?”

Garrus looked at the door as if he expected to find a horde of turian-eating monsters on the other side and nodded determinedly. “I can’t say I’ve ever looked after a baby before. What if I…” He looked down at Ryder now, his expression was one of utter fear. “What if I hurt it… him? What if..?”

Ryder laughed, her hand resting reassuringly on Garrus’ chest. “Garrus. You’ll be fine. But if it makes you feel better, just leave your gloves on.”

Looking down at his hands, Garrus visibly relaxed. Since moving in with Ryder he’d kept his gloves off when they were alone together. “Are you sure?”

“If it makes you feel more comfortable, yes.” Moving closer to him, she raised herself up on tip-toes and lowered her voice to a whisper. “You can thank me later.”

Stepping back she knocked on the door before Garrus could change his mind. Less than thirty seconds later, Eleni was welcoming them into her and Sam’s home.

After showing them where they could find everything, Eleni turned to Ryder. “You wouldn’t mind giving Sam a little nudge for me, would you? She’s tried on at least a dozen outfits so far and…”

Ryder smiled knowingly. “Leave it to me, Leni. I’ll see what I can do.”

Leaving Garrus and Eleni to chat, Ryder made her way through to the apartment’s master bedroom. Knocking lightly on the door she found Sam dressed in nothing but her underwear, staring at what must have been twenty outfits lying on the bed. “Eleni says you’re being indecisive.”

Looking around, Sam beamed. Crossing the room she pulled Ryder into a tight hug. “Everything just makes me look fat.”

Stepping back from Sam, Ryder looked her over. Her tanned complexion was flawless, and there wasn’t an ounce of fat on her. “Sam! You look perfect. You could probably throw on an old sack and you’d still have every head turning…”

Feeling a little better about herself, Sam laughed. “Says the person who’s bagged the hottest thing to grace this colony in a very long time.”

Ryder gave same a shrewd look. “You haven’t forgotten you’re a lesbian have you?”

Sam laughed even harder. “Of course not. Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a fine looking male when I see one though.”

Returning to the lounge while Sam finished getting dressed, Ryder found Garrus and Eleni chatting amicably on the sofa. Eleni’s hand was resting on the turian’s upper arm, but she wasn’t in the least bit concerned. Eleni had always been a very tactile person, and she was devoted to Sam. Not wanting to disturb them, she walked into the kitchen and looked out at the view. What she wouldn’t give to be able to afford a view like that.

“Would you like to hold him?”

Turning from the window, Ryder looked at Sam then down at Benjamin. He was rubbing his eyes sleepily with his chubby hands and had obviously just woken up from taking a nap. “I’d love to.”

Watching Ryder, seeing the joy on her face as small podgy fingers wrapped around one of hers, Garrus felt his heart sink. He had the means to give her just about anything she might ask for. But no matter what he did or how much money he had, he would never be able to give her a child. Deep down he realised it was a little too soon to be thinking about children, but watching her with Benjamin, he just couldn’t help it.

Walking through to the lounge, Ryder sat down in one of the armchairs, holding Benjamin so he was sitting on her knee and facing away from her. As she bounced her knee gently up and down, the baby gurgled happily.

After saying goodbye to their son and pulling on coats, Sam and Eleni walked to the door. Hand on the door console, Sam looked back into the room. “We won’t be back too late.”

**

Cradling Benjamin in her arms, Ryder paced the room trying to settle him. She’d done everything Sam had told her to do – bathed him, dressed him in his bed-clothes, given him a bottle of warm milk – but still he wouldn’t stop crying. Noting that she seemed to be getting stressed, Garrus got to his feet and walked over to her.

“Do you want me to take him for a moment?”

Ryder smiled wearily. “Are you sure. I thought you didn’t want to hold him in case…”

Garrus shrugged as casually as he could. The thought of holding the soft, squishy baby terrified him still, but he’d agreed to help Ryder with the babysitting. “I’m sure I’ll be fine for five minutes while you make a coffee.”

When Garrus was sat down again, Ryder handed Benji to him; showing him how to support his head properly. Almost immediately, the baby’s eyes focused on the turian’s mandibles and his little hands started reaching up towards them.

Feeling that Garrus and Benjamin were fine for the moment, Ryder headed into the kitchen and made herself a coffee. When it was ready, she sat at the kitchen table and drank it. If Garrus needed any help, she was certain he would let her know.

Hearing Ryder walking back into the lounge, Garrus caught her eye and put his finger to his mouth in that “be quiet” gesture that humans used. Ryder stopped and looked down at Benjamin, who was sleeping soundly in the turian’s arms. She couldn’t help feeling a little disgruntled. She’d spent almost an hour pacing with him in her arms or rocking him gently to no avail, but ten minutes with Garrus and he was dead to the world.

Carefully taking the sleeping baby from Garrus, Ryder took him through to his room and put him down in his cot. Benjamin stirred momentarily, but settled again once Ryder had pulled his blanket over him.

Returning to the lounge, she sat down next to Garrus. “How did you do that? Get Benji to go to sleep, I mean”

“I guess I’m just a natural.”

Smiling fondly, Ryder linked her arm through Garrus’ and leaned against him. “You’ll make a good dad one day.”

As soon as she’d said the words, she knew something was wrong. She felt Garrus tense up beside her if only for a moment, and his mandibles were held just a little too rigidly.

Sitting up more, she cupped her hand around the side of his face and made him look at her. “What’s wrong?”

Garrus looked at her for the longest time before answering. “We can’t have children, Rye. Even if I could by some miracle get you pregnant…”

“We?” Ryder stared at Garrus, her shock almost palpable. “You’d want a child with me?”

“Of course I would. But it’s not possible, so…”

Straddling Garrus’ lap, Ryder placed her hands either side of his face. “There are other ways to have a family. Just because we didn’t make the child doesn’t mean they’ll be any less ours. Ask Leni sometime. She was adopted. And even if it is impossible for you to get me pregnant, it doesn’t stop us trying.”

Letting themselves into the apartment, Eleni went through to check on Benjamin while Sam poured some drinks. It was getting late, but one more drink wouldn’t hurt. Walking back into the lounge, Eleni sat in one of the armchairs and pulled Sam onto her lap.

Watching them, Garrus suddenly realised something; Eleni and Sam were both female, but Benjamin was their baby. He’d read about advancements in genetics research that meant same sex couples could have a child, but he wasn’t sure how it worked… to be honest, he’d never been interested before. “Sam? Would you mind if I asked how you got pregnant? I’m assuming it wasn’t the “normal” way.”

Sam shook her head and laughed. “It definitely was not the “normal” way. No man-parts have ever, or will ever, get that close to me without clothes on…”


	6. Chapter 6

Locked in the colony’s defence systems control room, Garrus slammed his fist into the wall. Not the most mature of reactions, but maturity and anger didn’t always go hand-in-hand. Aware that he had almost finished his work on the colony, the Council had seen fit to book him passage on a small research vessel that would be docking at Mindoir in two days’ time and leaving the same day. For the past months he’d avoided talking about his imminent departure – childishly hoping something would happen so that he could stay for just a bit longer – but now he was out of time. Now he needed to find the courage to tell her what had been on his mind for some time now, and ask her the one question he’d been avoiding for fear she would turn him down.

Knowing what he needed to do, he typed three separate messages on his omni-tool and sent them to the appropriate people. Waiting for the recipients of the messages to reply he gathered up his belongings and left the building, making sure to lock the door behind him. He was sorely tempted to leave the door open and pay someone to sabotage everything, but he forced himself to walk away.

Reaching the apartment he let himself in, walked to the kitchen and poured a brandy. Mid-afternoon wasn’t when he usually started drinking, but today wasn’t a normal day.

Taking the drink through to the bedroom, he pulled his bags out from under the bed and started throwing clothes into them; making sure to leave out what he would need for the next couple of days. When his omni-tool vibrated to tell him he had a message, he sat down on the bed to read it.

_Garrus._  
_I’m sorry to hear that, but of course I can find a table for you and Rye. And whatever you get is on the house. Call it my farewell gift to you._  
_Steve._  
_P.S. Sam said to let you know she’ll keep an eye out for Rye so you can make your escape… so to speak._

Shutting down his omni-tool again, Garrus resumed his packing. He needed everything sorted before Sam contacted him. If not he wasn’t sure he would be able to avoid Rye, and tonight, that was imperative… at least for a little while.

Just as he was putting the last few things into one of the bags, his omni-tool buzzed again. This time it was Sam, letting him know Ryder was on her way. Quickly stuffing the items he was holding into a bag, he shoved both bags back under the bed and walked through the apartment making sure everything was in place. When he was sure it was, he picked up a few things he’d left by the door and left the apartment again; making his way to Sam’s. When he arrived there he found Sam standing by the door, waiting for him with a mug of freshly brewed coffee.

“Garrus!” Handing him the coffee, Sam gave the turian a quick hug. “Come in.”

Stepping to one side, Sam let Garrus into the apartment and then followed him. Shutting the door she made her way into the lounge and sat down on the sofa. “The bathroom’s down the hallway. Last door on the right.”

Glancing over her shoulder, Sam watched as Garrus disappeared down the hallway. Briefly she wondered if he’d remembered to bring his own toiletries; everything she and Eleni had was rather feminine. Deciding it was too late to worry about such things she picked up her own coffee and resumed watching the film she was in the middle of. Eleni had gone to meet her parents at the docks and had taken Benjamin with her… and Sam was making the most of the peace and quiet while she could. Benji had recently celebrated his first birthday, but Eleni’s parents had been unable to make it. To make up for that they’d invited themselves for a three night stopover on the way to Terra Nova to watch some show or other.

**

Walking into the apartment, the first thing Ryder noticed was that Garrus wasn’t there, just before she saw the glass of wine sitting on the kitchen table and the piece of folded paper alongside it. Hanging her jacket on the hook to the left of the front door, she crossed the room and picked up the piece of paper.

_Rye._  
_Meet me at the Crucible at 19:30. Come alone and wear something nice._  
_Garrus._  
_P.S. Something nice might be sleeping right now… and sorry for routing through your laundry._

Reading the note a second time, Ryder smiled to herself. Taking the glass of wine with her, she made her way through to the bedroom. The first part of the note was self-explanatory: meet him at the Crucible wearing something other than her usual shirt and trousers combo… and without Kaidan tagging along, trying to get between them. The last part was a bit more cryptic; though she guessed she would find out soon enough.

Opening the bedroom door she looked at the bed. Sitting on the pillows were three boxes with tags that read ‘open first’, ‘open second’ and ‘open third’. Setting the wine glass she was holding down on the chest of drawers she went to open the box that said ‘open first’ then thought better of it. She’d just gotten in and her hands were still rather grubby from working in the fields all day. Leaving the boxes where they lay she grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Standing under the warm water of the shower, watching the dirt and grime disappear down the plug hole, it struck her that Garrus must have returned to the apartment at some stage during the day. And given that the wine was still chilled, she concluded that it must have been quite recently. Had she just missed him? Had he returned briefly before dashing back to the controls building to check on something? Or was he… No, he wasn’t avoiding her. If he was, why would he have left the note to meet him at the Crucible?

Stepping out of the shower ten minutes after she’d stepped in, Ryder wrapped a towel around her hair and another around her body and returned to the bedroom. Opening the first box she found a lightly boned pure white silk basque with pale pink lace trim and matching shorts. Picking the basque up, she crossed to the full length mirror in the corner of the room and held it against her. She’d never owned anything like it before.

Returning to the bed she put the basque back in its box and opened the second one. The dress she pulled out was gorgeous; pale green chiffon over dark blue silk with a delicately jewelled sweetheart neckline. Setting the dress down carefully on the bed she reached for the third box, curious to know what was inside.  
Inside the third box was a pair of sea green kitten-heeled sandals and a hair clip made from some sort of dark grey filigreed metal that had a matt finish, but still reflected the light. Looking closer, Ryder noticed what seemed to be silver and pale pink metals threaded through the grey. It was these that were catching the light.

Looking at everything on the bed, Ryder guessed it must have cost a small fortune. She would have been angry that Garrus had spent so much on her… again, but this was only the second time he’d done so. Most of the time they took turns buying drinks or split the bill at the café. Garrus had told her he didn’t mind paying, but he hadn’t pushed the issue. He might have more money than her – a lot more to be precise – but he didn’t rub it in her face. It was just one of the many things she loved about him.

Leaving the house half an hour later, Ryder walked towards town. Instead of a coat – she didn’t want to spoil the look of what she was wearing with something old and chunky – she had a pale pink and silver scarf her mother had given her on her birthday wrapped around her shoulders.

**

Putting his knife and fork down on his plate, Garrus swallowed what was in his mouth and looked across the table at Ryder. “Rye? I need to tell you something.”

Setting down her own cutlery, Ryder met his gaze. Her expression was somewhere between a smile and a frown. “I gather this is serious?” Reaching across the table, she placed her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I can handle it. Unless you’re going to tell me that your dad’s arranged for you to marry some turian girl.”

Garrus forced himself to smile. “No, it’s not that. If it was, I just wouldn’t turn up. It’s…”

Looking down at Ryder’s hand, he took a breath. He’d known right from the beginning that they were physically different and biologically incompatible – though neither of them had so far shown any signs of allergic reaction to the other – but it was only now that it struck him how different. Was he really going to ask her to give up everything for him? Could he really be that selfish? Raising his head again, he looked Ryder square in the eyes and he knew the answer was yes.

“I’ve got to return to the Citadel. And this time I won’t be returning.”

Ryder swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat. “When?”

“Day after tomorrow. Probably early evening, but I’m still waiting for confirmation. I…” Garrus picked up his drink and downed half of it in one go. He’d face down countless enemies during his time with the Spectres, often finding himself in seemingly impossible situations, but he’d never been as afraid as he was now; what if she said no? “I want you to come with me?”

For nearly half a minute, Ryder stared at him too shocked to speak.

“You want me to go to the Citadel with you? How long for?”

Garrus studied Ryder’s expression, trying to get a fix on what she was thinking. All he saw was confusion. “For forever.” Sighing, he took her hand in both of his. This was not going at all like he’d imagined, but few things in his life did. “I’m not asking you to settle down and get married, it’s just… For so long things have been going wrong in my life and then you came along and for once something started going right. I don’t want to lose that… or you.”

Blinking back tears, Ryder tried to calm herself. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was sure Garrus could feel her shaking. “That’s a big step you’re asking me to take, Garrus. I… I do love you, but I’m not sure I’m ready to leave my life behind just yet. Can I… Would you mind if I took some time to think things over?”

It wasn’t the answer he’d wanted, but he couldn’t blame her for wanting to take her time. “Just promise me you won’t take too long.”

Ryder smiled at him. “No more than two weeks.”

Returning to his meal, Garrus ate a few more mouthfuls of the steak he’d ordered before speaking to Ryder again. “You said you love me.”

Ryder nodded. “I wasn’t sure until just now – and to be perfectly honest, I’m still not sure that I know what love is – but if it means feeling sick at the thought of you leaving or feeling so content I don’t need to fill the hours of silence when we’re just lying in bed together, then yes… I love you.”

Garrus flicked his mandibles out in a grin. “If that’s the definition of being in love, I guess I must love you too.”

Passing their table on the way back to the kitchen, Steve stopped. “Is everything alright here?” He glanced down at the near empty plates. “Can I bring you a dessert menu?”

**

Garrus stood on the docking bay, facing Ryder. He had one hand on the small of her back, and the other under her chin. Raising her head slightly, he lowered his and pressed his mouth gently to her lips; his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth. Over the months he’d become quite proficient at kissing, even if his mouth wasn’t anywhere near as flexible as human lips.

When they broke apart again, Ryder looked up at him; her face flushed and her eyes shining. “You’re getting really good at that.”

Pulling her closer to him, Garrus buried his face in Ryder’s hair. “I just hope I don’t forget over the next two weeks.”

Ryder wrapped her arms tighter around his waist and let her head rest against his chest. Garrus’ heartbeat was slightly different to a humans – like his voice it seemed to have a slight… undertone, she supposed – and she wanted to remember it. As well as the slightly metallic taste of his plates and the soft leathery feel of his skin. She was sorely tempted to just jump on the ship with him when he boarded, but she knew she couldn’t do that. If she was going to leave her life behind and start a new one, she had to be sure she was doing it for the right reason. Not because people expected her to or because she knew it would make Garrus happy, but because it was truly what she wanted to do.

“Rye?” Reaching around behind him, Garrus loosened Ryder’s arms from around his waist and took a step back from her. “I need to go now.”

Looking up at him, Ryder nodded slowly. “I know.”

Stoically, she watched him board the ship. Just inside the vessel, he stopped and looked back at her until the door closed and blocked his view.

When the ship departed Mindoir, he watched the dock for as long as he could. The last thing he saw clearly was Ryder’s face looking up at him as she waved frantically. Looking out at the stars, he thought back to the trip to Elysium he’d taken with her. It was the first time Ryder had left Mindoir and she’d been fascinated by everything. On the return journey they’d been too preoccupied with other things to enjoy the view. But that didn’t mean it had been any less enjoyable.

Standing on the docking bay, Ryder felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder. Looking around she saw her father standing there. “He wanted me to go with him…”

Oliver wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her as the tears she fought so valiantly to conceal finally broke free. When she’d shed her last tear – for now at least – he smiled down at her. “Let’s get you back to the apartment. You can warm up a bit while I get some dinner started.”

Looking back over her shoulder, Ryder allowed her father to guide her down the steps at the other end of the docking bay and towards the apartment. She wondered what her dad would have said if she had boarded the ship with Garrus. Then she wondered why she hadn’t. She’d told Garrus she needed time to consider things and that was true… partly. In truth she was scared. She had two paths open to her: stay on Mindoir and continue with her life the way it was… stable and predictable, but minus the turian she loved, or move to the Citadel where she knew nothing and no-one other than Garrus…

Walking into her parents’ apartment behind her dad, Ryder found her mum waiting for her.

Hannah hugged her daughter then took her jacket and hung it on one of the pegs. “The kettle’s just boiled, but you look like you could use something a bit stronger than coffee.”

Getting two glasses from the kitchen, Hannah poured some dark rum for Ryder and some whiskey for Oliver. Handing the rum to Ryder, she used her thumb to wipe away the tears that were beginning to roll down her daughter’s face again. “You’re father and I faced something similar to what you’re going through when we were thinking about moving here. We knew it would mean leaving both our families and all our friends behind, but we knew it was right for us… Life hasn’t always been easy here, and I can’t guarantee your life will be easy if you decide to leave, but I wouldn’t change things even if I could.”

Ryder looked at her mum, and smiled weakly.  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder follows Garrus to the Citadel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone who is continuing to read this... or who is reading it for the first time.  
> As always kudos, comments and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Sitting in the small trading vessel, Ryder looked out at the immense structure of the Citadel. Garrus had tried to describe it to her on more than one occasion, but now she was seeing it in the flesh – so to speak – she knew that nothing he said could have prepared her for the sheer magnitude of the place. She looked down at the bags by her feet, wondering – not for the first time – if she was making a mistake. In her heart she knew that what she was doing was right for her, she had to give her relationship with Garrus a chance, but that didn’t stop the doubts from setting in. To say she was scared would have been a horrendous understatement. For one thing, Garrus didn’t even know she was turning up. Wanting to surprise him she’d arranged everything with the help of Padok Wiks. Before leaving, Garrus had given her Padok’s contact details – Padok was a former member of the salarian STG, and while he was officially nothing to do with the Spectres he had on occasion supplied them with tech and explosives; he was also a trusted friend of Garrus’ – and told her to get in touch with the salarian if she ever needed anything, and he was unavailable. Together they’d spent two days arranging passage and sorting things out.

Stepping off the ship, Ryder looked around, much as she had on Elysium. Here though she felt somewhat insignificant; like a tiny insect making its way through one of the fields back on Mindoir.

“Ryder? I’d recognise you anywhere.”

Looking to her right, Ryder spotted a salarian walking towards her. “Padok? How did you know..?”

“Who you were? Easy.” Picking up Ryder’s bags, Padok turned and walked briskly towards the docks’ security area. “Apart from the fact that Garrus never shuts up about how perfect you are and how he can’t wait to…” He coughed as though clearing his throat. “See you again. He’s got pictures of you all over his desk.”

Ryder felt her cheeks growing warm.

“Right now though, we need to get you out of here before anyone sees you. We’ll go to my place. It’s quite close and you can shower there. Also, the food won’t kill you. If Garrus doesn’t know about your arrival, he probably didn’t get anything in.”

Practically jogging after Padok as she tried to keep up with him while he weaved his way through the crowds, Ryder found herself questioning if Salarians did everything at such a high speed.

“Here we are.”

Stopping abruptly, almost causing Ryder to fall over him, Padok let himself into a well maintained apartment block and immediately turned left. Opening the door, he let Ryder into the apartment.

“There’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry, and the bathrooms down the hall to the left. I need to get back to work now before anyone starts getting suspicious, but I’ve left directions for how to get to the club.” Walking out through the door again, he glanced back over his shoulder. “And don’t worry about Garrus. I’ll get him there somehow.”

Alone in the apartment, Ryder looked around. The place made her apartment back on Mindoir look like a shed someone might stick in their back garden to store tools in. Walking into the kitchen she opened the fridge – having never known a salarian before, she wasn’t exactly sure what kind of foods they ate – and was pleasantly surprised to find a whole array of fruits and vegetables. Checking the cupboard she found everything she needed to make a vegetable stir-fry.

Once she had eaten and cleared everything away, leaving the kitchen exactly as she’d found it, she picked up the smallest of the three bags she had with her and made her way to the bathroom. Again, it put her old apartment to shame. Not wanting to use her own towels at the moment – she really didn’t want to have to put damp towels in with the rest of her clothing – she took one of Padok's off the shelf.

Stepping out of the shower, she realised she had a choice to make: the blue and green dress Garrus had bought her, or the dusky pink dress she’d worn when she’d first taken him for drinks at the Crucible.

**

Wearing the dusky pink dress, with her hair down and just a touch of make-up, Ryder left Padok’s apartment and followed the detailed directions to the Nebula Lounge. Going by the name alone she assumed it would have some spectacular views… and it did, depending on your view point, but not the views she’d been expecting. The Nebula Lounge, it turned out, was a gentlemen’s club. But not one of those seedy ones where you risked your life just nipping to the toilets. The seats were all cream leather with a dark brown trim. The tables looked like they were made from solid wood – so too heavy for someone to pick up in a drunken rage and throw at some unsuspecting bystander – and the lighting, though subdued, was not dim enough to give the place a sinister edge. If anything the level of the lighting made the place feel cosy.

Heading straight for the bar she bought a glass of dark rum and diet coke; she didn’t know how long she would have to wait for Padok to turn up, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to afford more than a couple of drinks given the prices they charged. Taking a seat at a table that had a small sofa and three chairs set around it, she waited for Padok to turn up with Garrus.

Within seconds of her sitting down, a young red-headed girl – who she took to be one of the dancers given the way she was dressed – sat down next to her.

“I take it this is your first time here?”

Ryder looked at the red-head. She was pretty in a down-to-earth sort of way. “What makes you say that?”

The red-head smiled. “I would have remembered someone as sexy as you.” As casually as anything, she placed her hand on Ryder’s thigh and squeezed gently. “I’m Kelly, by the way. If you hadn’t guessed already, I work here.”

Ryder smiled and introduced herself. It was good to know someone else on the Citadel other than Garrus and Padok, even if that person was a rather forward exotic dancer. Reaching for her drink, she took a couple of sips then set the glass back down on the table.

Removing her hand from Ryder’s thigh, Kelly moved forward to the edge of the seat. “I’d better get going, but it was nice meeting you Ryder. I very much doubt you will be, but if you’re still free at the end of the night come and find me.”

Watching Kelly walk away from her, Ryder felt all the doubts starting to set in again. What if Garrus didn’t turn up? Or he turned up with someone else? What if he decided he’d made a mistake being with a human… with her? What if..? Closing her eyes, she told herself to get it together. Garrus was the one who had asked her to move to the Citadel to be with him. He wouldn’t have done that if he wasn’t sure it was what he wanted… she hoped.

Opening her eyes again, she found Padok sat in the chair next to the end of the sofa she was sitting at.

“He’s at the bar getting drinks, but I’ll warn you; he’s not really in the best of moods. Apparently he’s been trying to contact his girlfriend all day, but she hasn’t replied to any of his messages.”

Ryder’s lips twitched at the corners as she tried desperately not to grin like an utter maniac. According to the salarian – who had absolutely no reason to lie to her – Garrus had referred to her as his girlfriend. “I’m sure she has a reasonable explanation.”

Padok glanced towards the bar. “If she wanted to tell him those explanations, now would be a good time.”

**

Walking up to the bar, Ryder stopped next to Garrus and glanced up at him. He was talking to the asari bartender – who also happened to own the place – and hadn’t noticed her yet. “Hey, big guy. Fancy buying a girl a drink?”

Not looking around, Garrus shook his head. Somewhere in the back of his mind Ryder’s voice and the unique scent of ‘her’ he was picking up registered, but he refused to acknowledge them; he’d spent almost two weeks hoping every woman with shoulder length light blonde curly hair was her only to be disappointed every time. “Sorry, I’m already with someone.”

Ryder attempted unsuccessfully to calm the butterflies in her stomach. “Perhaps you could just show me that turian endurance instead then? I’ve heard some fascinating stories regarding their… staying power.”

“Haven’t I already said, I’m not…”

Turning to face the woman who was steadily getting on his nerves, Garrus found his words dying in his throat as he found one green eye and one blue staring back at him. Since leaving Mindoir he’d thought constantly what it would be like when he saw her again. How he would take her in his arms and kiss her and… And now he was standing there like something petrified; too afraid to move in case it broke whatever spell he was under.

Taking a step towards him, Ryder took his hand in hers. “Well, are you going to say something? Or are you just going to stare at me until we get old?”

As soon as her hand touched his, Garrus knew she wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. “Rye?” His arm curled around her, pulling her tight against him and he lowered his head to inhale the scent that was uniquely her. “When did you..? How did..? Spirits, I…”

Curling her fingers over the front of his cowl, Ryder pulled Garrus down to her level and pressed her lips briefly against his mouth. “Hush. We’ve got time for…”

Before she could finish what she was saying, Garrus was kissing her deeply and passionately as he ran his talons down the back of her dress. She returned his kiss hungrily, sighing at his touch.

Breaking away from the kiss, Garrus held Ryder close and looked down at her. “Spirits, I’ve missed you!” Lowering his head, he touched his forehead to hers. “I don’t suppose we could just leave?”

Smiling up at him, Ryder shook her head. “It’s very tempting, but we shouldn’t just walk out on Padok. If it wasn’t for him, I’d still be on Mindoir.”

Raising his head, Garrus looked across at Padok. He wanted nothing more than to get Ryder alone somewhere… anywhere, but she was right. Padok was the only one who could have gotten her to the Citadel – the salarian’s insistence that they grab a drink made perfect sense now – so he owed him more than just leaving him to drink alone.

“Alright, Rye. We’ll stop for a few drinks, but then I get to show you the apartment.” Lowering his voice to a more salacious one, he gazed down at her. “And maybe one or two of the less frequented side passages on the way.”

Picking up the drinks he’d ordered, Garrus followed Ryder to the table where Padok was sitting.

Taking his drink the salarian looked up at them, obviously surprised to see them standing there. “I thought you’d be halfway back to the apartment? Or Spectre headquarters? It is a little closer.”

Garrus sat down beside Ryder on the sofa and immediately wrapped his arm around her waist. “Rye insisted we stay, at least for a couple of drinks.” He took a sip of his brandy, sighing contentedly as it ran smoothly down his throat. “Plus, I should thank you for getting her here.”

Padok smiled. “Anytime, Garrus.”

**

Leaving the Nebula Lounge several hours and quite a few drinks later, Garrus guided Ryder through the Wards towards his apartment. The walk took roughly thirty minutes, but Ryder reckoned it would be more or less half that if they were both sober and hadn’t spent a good five minutes concealed in some shadowy corner getting ‘re-acquainted’.

Reaching the apartment block, Ryder looked up at the new metal and glass structure. “I thought you lived in one of the older apartment blocks?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Garrus grinned sheepishly. “I did. I, uh…”

Ryder glared at him furiously. “Don’t you dare tell me you bought a new apartment because of me!? You saw what my place was like! How small it was! I know you’ve got money, Vakarian! You don’t need to splash it around to try and impress me!”

Garrus looked down at Ryder trying to figure out what he’d done or said to deserve this rant. True, he’d bought a new apartment. But he hadn’t done so to try and make her feel bad. At the same time he had to concede that he hadn’t considered how Rye might take it.

“I… I didn’t think. I just…” Taking Ryder’s hands in his, he tried to explain. “When I got back here my apartment just seemed empty, so I started looking for somewhere new. I guess I wanted to find somewhere that would be ours and not mine, and when I found this place I knew it would be perfect. It’s got all the rooms we could need, including a decent sized guest room so your parents can visit. I wasn’t trying to impress you or anything, Rye. I just hoped you’d like it.”

Feeling somewhat abashed that she’d even considered the possibility that Garrus would stoop to reminding her how much money he had, but still a little annoyed that he’d gone out and purchased a new apartment, Ryder glanced toward the door. “Is there anything else I should know about before you show me the place? Every mod-con available? Galaxy’s biggest entertainment system? Sky car floating outside the window?”

Relaxing a little now Ryder seemed to be more at ease with the apartment, Garrus smirked. “Just a bed. The one I had was designed for turians, so it wouldn’t have been suitable for you. I got one of those new ones that apparently caters for most races.”

Ryder was about to ask for the grand tour when something occurred to her. “So you bought a new apartment and a new bed for us?”

Thinking he knew where this was going, Garrus nodded. “I know it was a bit premature, but even turians are allowed to be optimistic now and again.”

Looking up into the turian’s pale blue eyes, Ryder couldn’t help smiling. “Any chance I can see the inside now?”

Releasing Ryder’s hands, Garrus opened the front door of the building and steered her towards the lifts. “Sure.” Stepping into one of the lifts, he waited for Ryder to enter behind him before pressing the button for the top floor. “I’ll warn you now though, it needs some decorating and a lot of furniture. But I thought you might want some say in those departments.”

Exiting the lift when it reached the top floor, Ryder followed Garrus along a short corridor to the apartment itself. Once inside, she relaxed even more. As Garrus had said, it had all the rooms they could want: a semi open-plan lounge-kitchen-diner, two bathrooms, three bedrooms, plenty of storage and a good sized study that Garrus seemed to be turning into a weapons den going by the presence of a weapons bench against the back wall. It was a good sized apartment, but not too big… and it definitely needed a coat of paint and some furniture. Other than the bed and the weapons bench the place was devoid of anything.

Leaning against one of the kitchen worktops, Ryder caught Garrus’ eye. “Alright, I’ll admit it. You made a good choice. There aren’t many places to sit though.”

Walking over to Ryder, Garrus gripped the worktop either side of her and leaned his body against hers. “I wasn’t thinking of doing much sitting tonight.” Lowering his head, he grazed his teeth along her shoulder. “We can go looking for furniture tomorrow… if you can walk.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even more drivel following the lives of Ryder and Garrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing to read... and for the kudos, comments and constructive criticisms. More of each always welcome and appreciated.  
> Hope you enjoy.

Stepping out of the shower, Ryder quickly dried herself off and pulled on clean clothes. Leaving the en-suite bathroom, she looked around and smiled. She’d been living on the Citadel for six months now and the apartment was finally beginning to look… and feel, like home. After the first few weeks, most of which she’d spent wandering around the area surrounding the apartment block, she’d come to the conclusion that she needed a job; Garrus had given her full access to his money, but she couldn’t bring herself to use it other than for necessities. Within the week she’d found employment as a part time waitress in one of the nearby cafes; a place called Daisy Chain. 

Walking into the kitchen, she stopped and sniffed the air. “Something smells good!”

Standing by the cooker, Garrus glanced over his shoulder. His mandibles flared in a grin. “Just the usual, Rye. Scrambled egg with just a hint of black pepper, two rounds of toast and a glass of fresh juice.” He cocked his head towards the kitchen table; one of the first items of furniture they’d purchased together. “Take a seat. I’ll bring it over in a moment.”

Doing as instructed, Ryder crossed to the table and sat in one of the six chairs surrounding it. On the way she glanced towards the sink. As always Garrus had already eaten and his pots were washed and air-drying on the drainer. She’d always been an early riser, but he got up at the crack of dawn. Something to do with military training he’d once told her by way of an explanation.

Setting Ryder’s breakfast down in front of her, Garrus bent to give her a quick kiss then returned to the kitchen to put the pan he’d used for the eggs into soak. Once he’d done that, put the butter substitute back in the fridge, cleaned the bread board of any toast crumbs and put it back where it was stored until needed, he poured a second mug of coffee and went to sit by Ryder. 

“So what’s on the agenda for today?”

Ryder swallowed the mouthful she was chewing, “Work until 13:00, then maybe a light lunch somewhere. After that I might go to the range for a while.” She smiled at her turian boyfriend, the very idea that she would end up loving someone so very alien still so, well… alien to her. “I’ll probably hit the gym for a couple of hours this afternoon. Oh, and the biotiball final is on this evening so I’m using the telly from 18:30 to 20:30 hours.”

Garrus hummed thoughtfully. He’d started teaching her to use a pistol about three months earlier when she’d shown an interest in the weapons he had; she was becoming quite proficient. “I’ll see if I can get off work for a bit. Maybe meet you for lunch somewhere or at the range.” Reaching under the table he placed his hand on her thigh, his talons tracing lazy patterns over the material of her trousers. She shivered delightfully at his touch. “I might have to work late tonight though. Paperwork.”

Placing her hand on top of his, Ryder smiled. Garrus had sat with her occasionally while she’d watched a biotiball match, but normally he retreated to his ‘study’ for a couple of hours to play with his guns. “How about I meet you at Nebula for a few drinks later? Say around nine?”

Finishing his coffee, Garrus got to his feet. “Sounds good.” Walking into the kitchen he put the mug in the sink with the pan before heading for the door. “See you there.”

Eating the last of her breakfast, Ryder took a moment to compare what her life had been to what it was now. A lot of things had changed, but she found the only things she really missed from Mindoir were her friends and family. Speaking of which, she’d completely forgotten to mention to Garrus that her parents were thinking of visiting sometime soon so they needed to get at least one of the guest rooms sorted.   

Before leaving the apartment to go to work, she washed the last of the dirty pots and put them on the drainer with the others. She could put them away when she got in later.

**

Garrus sat at his desk at Spectre headquarters and started reading through the day’s messages on his private terminal to see what jobs he’d been assigned to. As a fairly new addition to the Spectre ranks he wasn’t yet at the stage where he could pick and choose his own assignments and while he loved being with Ryder, and was loathe to leave her, he was eager to get back out into the field; admin was not his forte. Sifting through the usual collection of reminders to write up the reports for the Mindoir assignment – smiling to himself as he imagined the Council reading about his exploits with his human girlfriend – he came across one message that stood out from the others. Opening it, he read the message.

_Garrus_  
 _Need your help with something._  
 _Meet me in my office. ASAP._  
_Nihlus._

Garrus read the message a second time wondering what could be going on before getting to his feet again and making his way up two floors to where Nihlus’ office was. Nihlus had been his mentor since his recruitment into the elite group and he wasn’t known for sending such ambiguous messages.

Reaching Nihlus’ office, Garrus knocked once on the door then let himself in. Nihlus’ office was fairly small, but extremely well organised. His desk was positioned so he could survey the whole room with ease, and Garrus was pretty sure there were more than a couple of weapons hidden in the always-slightly-open drawers.

“You wanted to see me, Nihlus?”

Nihlus looked up from what he was doing and nodded towards the younger turian by way of a greeting. “Yes, Vakarian. Take a seat.” He swept his hand towards a nearby chair. “And thank you for getting here so promptly.”

Grabbing the chair, Garrus pulled it up to the desk and sat down. “Your message said you needed to see me as soon as possible. Is something wrong?”

Moving some things around on his desk, Nihlus didn’t reply for a while. Garrus got the feeling he was trying to work out where to start.

“How well do you know Sidonis?”

Garrus stared at Nihlus, dumbstruck. It took him a few seconds to realise he probably had the same ‘goldfish’ expression Ryder had apparently had when she’d first encountered him. “Not all that well. We’ve never worked together, and we tend to socialise in different circles…”

Nihlus nodded. Getting to his feet he walked over to the door and engaged the lock then returned to his desk. He had the look of someone who was about to do something they knew they had to, but would really rather not. The look of someone who had exhausted all other avenues of investigation and was left with just one option as a last resort.

“Then you should be perfect for this task…”

While Garrus sat listening, Nihlus explained what he wanted him to do. Apparently there had been more than a few inconsistencies cropping up in Sidonis’ reports recently – things that could be nothing, but could just as easily be indications of corruption – and the Council wanted it investigated. If Sidonis was corrupt they wanted to know.

“Do you think you can handle that?”

Garrus nodded. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good.” Using the computer on his desk, Nihlus disengaged the door lock. “I’ll expect your first report at the end of the week.”

Knowing he was being dismissed, Garrus left the office and made his way back down to his desk. He would finish looking through the rest of his messages then make a start on his new assignment. Not that he knew where he was going to start. However he decided to proceed, he knew one thing was imperative: Sidonis couldn’t find out what he was doing.

**

Ryder donned the pale green apron all female waiting staff at Daisy Chain wore to protect their clothing – male staff members wore darker green – and set about putting menus on the tables ready for the lunch time rush. She’d barely finished when the first customers walked through the door.

“Hey there, Lola. Do you have anything..?”

Ryder looked at the man who had spoken. James Vega was chief of security at the Nebula Lounge, which was really a posh way of saying he was their best bouncer. Standing roughly six feet tall and with muscles enough for half a dozen grown men it was easy to see why, but Ryder knew him well enough by now to know he only put that physique to use when he really had to. Usually he tried to get any unruly customers to see sense and leave of their own volition before manhandling them out through the doors.

“Near the back?” Ryder looked at Vega’s companion – a rather attractive asari whose large eyes were made to look all the bigger by the very fact that their colour almost perfectly matched her skin tone. Vega and Morinth had been dating for almost a year now, but they didn’t want anyone to know just yet; Aethyta – the asari who owned the club – wasn’t averse to her staff and dancers dating, but she didn’t encourage it either. “Right this way.”

Leading Vega and Morinth between the tables, Ryder took them to a table in one of the back corners of the room where they would be able to keep an eye on the door and conduct their “meeting” in some privacy. “I’ll give you a couple of minutes to look at the menu.”

Morinth smiled up at Ryder, picked up the menu and started reading it. Vega did nothing other than watch Morinth. He was a creature of habit which today meant steak with pink peppercorn sauce, chips and all the trimmings. Turning from the table, Ryder walked away to see to another customer. She never thought she would have enjoyed working as a waitress – it was a far cry from working the fields in all weathers – but she found she got a different sense of satisfaction from it. And some of the stories she heard from the customers? Sometimes she couldn’t tell if they were factual, or if they were just playing with her. Either way there was a growing part of her that was eager to see more of what the galaxy had to offer. Not that she had mentioned this to Garrus; she didn’t want him thinking she was hinting at anything. And anyway, she wanted to treat him. She knew she could never afford anywhere as nice as the hotel on Elysium, even though she did now have full access to all his money, but she hoped the company would make up for that.

“Rye? How are you doing?”

Turning, Ryder found herself face-to-face with Padok. “I’m great. Finally starting to find my way around… sort of. And I’ve made enough friends that when Garrus gets sent on another of his assignments, I shouldn’t get too lonely.”

Padok nodded understandingly. Going out with a Spectre wasn’t the easiest thing to do; often they were sent on missions where they couldn’t say what they were doing or give any indication as to how long they would be away. “Garrus asked me to give you a message, actually. Something’s come up at work so he won’t be able to make lunch or the range. He’ll meet you at the club as arranged and said he’ll make it up to you.”

Ryder bit her lip in an effort not to smile as she contemplated how Garrus intended to make up for cancelling not one potential date, but two on the same day. “Thanks, Padok. I guess I’ll see him tonight then.”

**

Getting up from the sofa, Ryder checked her appearance in the mirror – she’d had the forethought to shower and change before settling down to watch the biotiball match – checked she had everything she needed, and left the apartment. She was more than used to the trip through the back alleys now and the journey took no more than ten minutes… or it would have done if she hadn’t stopped to look in a shop window on the way. Walking into the club, she found Garrus already there waiting for her.

“Hey, honey? Thought any more about that job offer I made you? It’s good money…”

Making her way towards the bar – and Garrus – Ryder shook her head and smiled. “Sorry, Thyta. There’s only one person I take my clothes off for.”

Aethyta laughed. “That’s fine. There’ll just be a few other guys watching as well. Maybe it will spice things up a bit if they get a little monotonous.”

Turning slightly on his barstool, Garrus caught Ryder’s wrist and pulled her towards him. “So who’s this one person you’ll take your clothes off for?”

Ryder shivered slightly as Garrus trailed talons up and down her bare arms. “I don’t think you’ve met him, but I think you’ll get along. He loves his guns, and spends hours cleaning them or upgrading them. Sometimes I think he might actually start sleeping with them. But he knows his way around the bedroom. And he’s very good with his hands… and his mouth… and, well other parts of his body so I guess I can let him off with the gun thing.”

Garrus pulled Ryder closer to him so she was standing between his legs, and shifted the focus of his talons to her back. “Looks like I’ll have to try and find some way to take your mind off this guy. He does sound like a damned extraordinary person though.”

Swallowing down a sigh as Garrus’ talons ran down her back with just a touch more pressure behind them, Ryder smiled mischievously. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Dipping his head so his mouth was level with Ryder’s ear, Garrus lowered his voice to a throaty whisper. “Perhaps you’ll have to tell me all about it over a few drinks…”

Ryder swallowed down another sigh. She really hated it when Garrus used his voice like that. Especially when he knew full well what it did to her and there was no way for her respond… nothing she would do in public, at any rate. “You, my dear turian, are a fucking bastard.”

Garrus smiled and brought his forehead down to hers. “I think it’s why you fell for me in the first place. Either that or my exceptional good looks.”

Ryder returned his smile, one hand coming to rest lightly on the side of his face. “Neither of them. If anything, I’d have to say it was your patience. I don’t know anyone else who would have been willing to wait as long as you did.”

Closing his eyes briefly, Garrus leaned into her touch. “If need be, I’d still be waiting…”

“Oh for fuck’s sake. Get a room before I puke up my dinner!”

Aethyta looked across at the young woman who’d spoken, a customer’s drink in hand, and shook her head. “Leave them alone, Jack. Can’t you see they’re in love?”

The woman, Jack, made some sort of grunting noise. “If that’s what being in love does, it’s never happening to me.”

Ryder looked past Garrus, towards Jack. Her hair was shaved and the parts of her body that were visible were covered in a myriad of tattoos. “It’s not all that bad. And besides, I didn’t wake up one day and think “today I’m going to fall for some turian”. I just kind of found him in my parents’ kitchen. Half naked.”

Jack was suddenly a lot more interested in listening to Ryder, and a lot less interested in making a hasty getaway. “Which half was naked? Top or bottom?”

“Top. Down to roughly this level.” Ryder laughed at the look of disappointment that crossed Jack’s face as she indicated on Garrus how much of his top half had been on show. “Not that I really took any notice.”

Picking up her drink, Jack took a mouthful then set the glass back down. “So what’s it like, being fucked by a turian?”

Rather surprised by the bluntness of Jack’s question, Ryder choked on the mouthful of drink she’d just taken.

Jack looked at her for a moment and laughed. “That good, I take it.”


End file.
